Eco-Conscious Courtyard Opens In Portland, OR

PORTLAND, OR—The Courtyard by Marriott – Portland City Center has opened here in the dowtown district. Developed by Sage Hospitality and designed by Portland architects SERA, the hotel is the first Courtyard designed to receive LEED Gold certification.

With 16 floors and 256 guestrooms, the hotel features 5,310 square feet of meeting and event space, including the Sequoia Ballroom, a business library with computers, docking stations and printers, and a fitness facility.

Other features include a collection of locally commissioned artwork and a new concept restaurant/diner called The Original from the Sage Restaurant Group.

The hotel also offers new hotel lobby design, including the signature Courtyard GoBoard, a 46-inch, LCD touch screen offering local information about restaurants and attractions, as well as maps, weather, and news, business and sports headlines.

Located in the former Toronto National Building, the hotel went through a complete exterior and interior renovation. The property is expected to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the US Green Building Council, making it the first Courtyard in the country to receive such a high level of recognition for its eco-friendly design.

The property is designed to lower overall energy consumption by 28% (equivalent to the energy consumption of 42 households per year) and reduce carbon emissions. Water consumption was reduced by 26% through the use of dual flush toilets and over 75% of the construction waste was recycled and re-used. All of the hotel’s electricity comes from renewable sources, including wind and hydroelectric. To further reduce the waste, recycling containers will be situated in each guestroom and on each floor. Additionally, kitchen grease from the Original Restaurant will be recycled into biodiesel fuel and food waste from the restaurant will be composted.

The interior design uses ergonomic office chairs and features a smoke-free environment and green housekeeping products. Also non-PVC wall covering, low VOC paints and low urea-formaldehyde casework in the guestrooms are used.

Courtyard by Marriott - Portland City Center

Marriott Expands Portfolio of LEED Hotels

More Than 30 Hotels and Marriott's Global Headquarters Go Green

BETHESDA, Md., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- In support of its environmental strategy to address climate change, Marriott International (NYSE: MAR) has announced that its global Headquarters building and more than 30 of its hotels in design, development or under construction are expected to achieve LEED(R) (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Marriott was the first major hotel company in the U.S. with a LEED certified hotel -- The Inn and Conference Center by Marriott at the University of Maryland in College Park.

"LEED certification gives these hotels a 'green' stamp of approval that our customers recognize and look for," says Arne Sorenson, Marriott's newly appointed President and Chief Operating Officer and co-chair of the company's Executive Green Council. "Saving energy and reducing waste saves money and helps the environment -- it's good for business and a key part of our growth strategy."

LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures. LEED-certified buildings: reduce waste sent to landfills; conserve energy and water; are healthier and safer for occupants; and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Scheduled for a July 2009 grand opening, the Fairfield Inn & Suites Baltimore Downtown/Inner Harbor expects to achieve LEED-Silver status. The hotel will offer a range of eco-friendly amenities, including eco-suites, bicycle storage and changing rooms, and preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles. The hotel's breakfast area features solar tracking skylights, and the outdoor courtyard includes turf made of recycled tires and rainwater cisterns (former brewing barrels from the site's original occupant, the Baltimore Brewing Company).

Other Marriott LEED-certified hotels expected to open this year include: The Ritz-Carlton Highlands Lake Tahoe in Truckee, Calif.; the Residence Inn Arlington Courthouse in Va.; and Courtyard hotels in Chevy Chase, Md., Portland, Ore., and Pittsburgh, Pa.

In 2010, several other LEED-certified hotels are expected to open. These include the Renaissance Crystal City Potomac Yards and the Residence Inn Crystal City Potomac Yards in Arlington, Va.; the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway; and the JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles and The Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles, both part of the L.A. LIVE sports and entertainment destination.

The company is actively pursuing LEED-Existing Building status for its global headquarters office in Bethesda, Md., by the end of the year. Actions taken toward this goal include: diverting 64 percent of its total waste (450,000 pounds) from the landfill; shifting to biodegradable disposable containers in its cafeteria, and then ultimately migrating to all permanent-ware; converting used cooking oil into biodiesel fuel; and providing Connect by Hertz cars for employees who use public transportation or carpool to get to the office, but need to run an errand or attend an off-site meeting mid-day.

In another symbol of its commitment to build greener hotels, Marriott was the first hotel company to join the USGBC in 2007 and expects that 20 of its Architecture and Construction associates will be LEED-accredited by year-end. This thorough understanding of green building practices and principles is valuable during the design and construction process.

In addition, Marriott hotels worldwide have been recognized for incorporating environmentally-friendly practices into their business:

* Approximately 275 Marriott hotels have earned the ENERGY STAR(R) label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for conserving waste, water and energy.

* The Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, the Portland Marriott City Center and the Philadelphia Airport Marriott are certified by Green Seal, a non-profit organization that provides science-based environmental certification standards.

* The Newcastle Marriott and Manchester Marriott in the United Kingdom, the Sydney Marriott and Melbourne Marriott in Australia, and the Okinawa Marriott in Japan are certified by Green Globe, the premier international brand for sustainable travel.

* The Dearborn Inn, Detroit Marriott Troy and the Detroit Marriott Livonia in Michigan have been certified by Green Lodging Michigan.

* The Calgary Marriott Hotel in Canada earned a "4 Green Key" rating through the Hotel Association of Canada's (HAC) Green Key Eco-Rating Program.

* Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort & Spa in Australia was named a "Sustainable Hotel" at the Hotel Investment Conference.

Last year, Marriott announced its environmental strategy to address climate change, which it calls its "Spirit To Preserve." The plan calls for: Greening its $10 billion supply chain; further reducing fuel and water consumption by 25 percent per available room, and installing solar power at up to 40 hotels by 2017; creating green construction standards for hotel developers to achieve LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council; educating and inspiring employees and guests to support the environment; and helping protect the rainforest.

For updates on Marriott's progress against its green goals, visit www.marriott.com/spirittopreserve, follow Green Marriott on Twitter and become a fan of Travel Green on Facebook.

Visit Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) for a company overview.

SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.

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Holiday Inn
San Antonio International Airport
Green Campaign

The Holiday Inn San Antonio International Airport launched an environmental “green” campaign nearly three years ago, posting results that have garnered National and International attention. We have been the feature Hotel on Green Lodging News, Eco Green Hotel, and The Hotel Guide. The Hotel’s results were the target of a case study produced by Caroma and marketed by Lighthouse Marketing, and now we are the Pilot Hotel for InterContinental Hotels Group Green Engage Program to be rolled out globally…join us on our green journey.

Recycling Program: In 2007 the Hotel started a recycling program by collecting paper and cardboard, producing 21 tons and donating $2000 in rebates to the Ronald McDonald House of San Antonio. In 2008 we transitioned to single stream recycling collecting 83.34 tons of material (170,000 pounds) that would have otherwise been sent to the landfill. Our recycling is a full single stream program allowing the Hotel to recycle paper, cardboard, plastics 1-7, glass, aluminum, and tin. Every department and guestroom throughout the Hotel has recycle containers. The Hotel staff spent an afternoon training with our recycling partner, Vista Fibers, learning about items in their departments that they touch every day that can be recycled instead of going to the trash.

Water Conservation: The Hotel won the San Antonio Water System Water Saver Award for 2008. We installed high efficiency dual flush toilets in every guestroom, low flow showerheads and water saving spigots in guestroom vanities. We ask guests to assist in water conservation by hanging towels that can be re-used and asking that bed linen be changed only every third day of their stay and daily service is available upon request. The Hotel captures condensation from rooftop air conditioning units by installing pumps into a water capture container and directing the water to flower beds. We also divert water from the pool during the cleaning process into hedges along the perimeter of the property, instead of sending it down the drain. In 2006 the Hotel was consuming 203 gallons of water per occupied room. This was reduced to 161 gallons in 2007, and by the end of 2008 we were only consuming 123 gallons per occupied room – totaling 7+ million gallons of water saved annually.

Energy Conservation: During the course of our renovation from June 2006 to June 2007, the Hotel replaced all incandescent light bulbs with energy saving compact florescent bulbs. Digital thermostats were installed in every guestroom with a 4 degree range allowed (72 degrees +/-). These can be reprogrammed by the Hotel for guests with special needs. Hotel storage rooms are equipped with motion sensors so lights cannot be left on by busy staff. Hotel boilers are programmed “in line” only utilizing the back up boiler when occupancies require the additional water. It is estimated by Burton Energy, that the Hotel will save 553k KWH annually with our energy conservation program.

What’s Next?: Although the Holiday Inn San Antonio Int’l Airport is a leader in the community for our “Green Campaign”, we are still finding new programs to make a positive impact on the environment. Here is a look at other initiatives that we are in the process of implementing:

• Planting an herb garden on the roof-top of our pool house. Any plants and produce that cannot be used by the Hotel kitchen, will be given to the employees. Seeds from the garden will be packaged and given to guests, encouraging them to “Stay Green”.

• The roof-top garden will be watered by capturing the condensation from two air conditioning units above the lobby of the Hotel. Any excess water will be diverted into the landscape.

• Investigating the option of sending all food waste to a composting site, and have already conducted our initial site visit with Texas Disposal Systems.

• Working with Trane to capture cooling tower condensation and redirect it to the Hotel chiller. This condensation could save the Hotel 500 gallons of water each week.

Holiday Inn San Antonio Int’l Airport – your only choice in San Antonio to “stay green”.

Hotel Direct: (210) 349-9900
Holiday Inn San Antonio International Airport

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Fairmont Hotels join Climate Program

The Fairmont hotel chain, which has 56 properties across the globe, announced this week it has joined the WWF Climate Savers program with an aim of cutting brandwide carbon emissions by 20% by 2013.

The Climate Savers program includes over 20 multi-national corporations, including IBM, Nike and Coca cola, all of whom are aiming to achieve a combined carbon emissions cut of 14 million tonnes every year. In order to reduce the environmental impact of the Fairmont Hotels, the chain has committed to updating hotel design standards to incorporate LEED standards, will be encouraging suppliers to provide green products and will be seeking a new LEED Gold standard home for its corporate offices in Canada.

Large hotel chains are often some of the worst culprits of greenwashing in the travel industry, but the Fairmont Hotel chain is one of the few brands that has made some real green efforts, and has been doing so for around 20 years; and although the chain doesn't have a stand out eco-friendly hotel yet, many of the brand's properties do feature some forward thinking green initiatives.

The Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda, for instance, features a rain and gray water recycling system and an on-site reverse osmosis plant, which helps to greatly reduce the hotel's water use. The Fairmont Sonoma in California features an on-site worn farm, which not only keeps food waste from the land fill, but also provides organic fertilizers for the hotel grounds; and the Fairmont St Andrews in Scotland converts its used cooking oil into biodiesel for the hotel shuttle bus and grounds vehicles.

Several other hotels take part in wildlife conservation efforts. In Hawaii the Fairmont Orchid helps fund marine reef research; in Boston staff at the Fairmont Copley Plaza have aided researchers with attaching transmitters to track snowy owls, and the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in Quebec launched a program to encourage guests to adopt a Beluga Whale.

The partnership with WWF is a welcome move, but as a luxury hotel chain, the Fairmont brand still has some way to go before they can truly reduce their environmental impact and claim to be a green hotel chain. However, the brand is setting the pace in terms of eco-friendly initiatives for other luxury hotel chains and will hopefully encourage other chains to improve their green efforts.

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts

World Wildlife Fund Climate Savers Program

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Element Hotel Debuts in Texas

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) announces the opening of Element Houston Vintage Park, the first Element hotel to open in Texas. Inspired by Westin™ Hotels & Resorts, Element invites guests to check-in to a new travel experience with comfortable public spaces, modern style and eco-friendly design. Owned by Condor Hospitality, LLC and managed by InterMountain Management, LLC of Louisiana, the newly constructed, 123-room hotel is a key part of the new Vintage Park lifestyle center located in bustling northwest Houston. The General Contractor for the Element is Benchmark Development Corporation of Dallas. This is the first of two Element projects between the ownership group, development team, and InterMountain Management. The Element Hotel in Lone Tree, Colorado will open in the summer of 2009.

Awaken to Smart Eco-chic Design
The Element brand’s unique design philosophy is evident the moment guests arrive. After passing through a signature portal that provides a literal bridge to the Element interior, guests will be greeted with streams of natural light from a multi-storied window wall. The vitality of the lobby will be matched by the energy of the hotel’s outdoor fire pit and barbecue, where a weekly evening reception allows guests to interact while enjoying a selection of savory food.

The smart design and clever use of space in the hotel’s guest rooms rejuvenates and energizes guests for work or play. Guests are able to customize their rooms to meet their needs with the multi-purpose, modular furniture, swiveling flat-screen televisions, large desks with open shelving and custom-designed closets. Rooms also offer a fully equipped kitchen that features modern, ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and all the utensils necessary to prepare a gourmet meal. Guests will rest soundly in the signature Heavenly® Bed, and wake up and recharge each morning in a sleek, spa-inspired Heavenly shower.

Great for the Earth, Great for Guests
Element Houston Vintage Park will be working towards LEED certification in its first year of operation, as part of the Element brand’s historic effort to require all its hotels to pursue this certification. The Element brand’s green features are cleverly designed to be as aesthetically appealing as they are eco-friendly, so guests never compromise on style and comfort. Element Hotels are equipped with energy-efficient, stainless steel appliances and lighting, amenity dispensers in the showers to reduce waste and water-efficient faucets and fixtures. Guests can continue daily routines such as recycling papers and plastics, as well as using green materials, while those driving hybrid cars are rewarded with priority parking. Even the ubiquitous “Do Not Disturb” sign has been replaced with an environmentally-friendly magnet.

Element Hotels

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Marriott's expanding green programs flourish

Last week, Marriott invited its hotel guests to "green" their hotel stays by buying carbon offsets to protect rainforests in the Juma reserve in the state of Amazonas in Brazil. Marriott, in cooperation with nonprofit Conservation international, had previously agreed to donate $2 million to rainforest preservation in Amazonas. Protecting rainforests, as you probably know, is an important way to mitigate the threat of climate change because tropical forests remove lots of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Marriott's initiative is noteworthy for several reasons. First, it's part of a broad green push by the company. Second, it's a great way to expose millions of people to the role of rainforests in preventing climate change. Third, the company says that its efforts will help attract so-called "green" meetings.

As part of its overall environmental commitment, called Spirit to Preserve, Marriott has agreed to reduce its fuel and water consumption by 25 percent per room over the next 10 years, install solar power in as many as 40 hotels by 2017 and expand reuse and recycling programs. They are also greening their supply chain by buying key cards made of 50 percent recycled plastic, replacing more than 100,000 pillows with new ones made from recycled bottles, eliminating cardboard from more than 2 million rolls of toilet paper a year, and buying Bic pens made with recycled material. The company is also ramping up its development of LEED-certified hotels.

The new "green your stay" program invites guests who book on www.marriott.com to offset the carbon generated during their stay for as little as US $10, or US $1 per day for 10 days. The cost to offset the carbon generated in a single night in a hotel is about $1, Matthews explains, but the $10 minimum contribution helps insure that the vast majority of the funds donated will go to rainforest preservation, rather than to administrative costs.

This program expands a relationship between Marriott and a nonprofit called the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation, which supports about 2,500 residents of the Juma area who help protect the forest from illegal logging and farming. Contributions help fund people and equipment to monitor the forest, as well as other community services, designed to provide an alternative livelihood for the Brazilian poor.

For More Information on Green Hotels, Go To Greenlodge.Org

Downtown Atlanta businesses launch Zero Waste Zone

Downtown Atlanta hotels and restaurants are going green.

The Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) and several downtown convention hotels and restaurants have partnered with the federal government and environmental groups to form the Southeast’s first Zero Waste Zone to reduce the flow of garbage into landfills.

The initiative was launched Tuesday during the 1,700-member Meeting Planners International convention.

GWCC -- the nation’s fourth-largest convention center -- Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and the Hyatt Regency Atlanta are among the downtown institutions that have pledged to up their recycling efforts, including sending used grease to local biofuel producers. Other downtown restaurants and hotels have promised to donate food to the Atlanta Community Food Bank or to send residuals to composting centers.

Levy Restaurants, the food contractor at the GWCC, has partnered with Washington, D.C.-based EnviRelations, LLC to compost food wastes, which will save 34 tons of organic materials each month from entering area landfills, according to a news release.

“We are amazed at the enthusiasm shown in support of the Zero Waste Zone,” Laura Turner Seydel, honorary chairwoman of the Zero Waste Zone-Downtown Atlanta, said in prepared remarks. “The composting program is incredibly innovative since there was not a permitted composting facility in Georgia until four months ago.”

According to the news release, Georgians send more than 17 million tons of garbage to landfills each year. The amount per person is double the national average.

The Green Foodservice Alliance and Atlanta Recycles started the initiative. The groups plan to expand the initiative throughout the downtown convention district, and ultimately to other areas of the city, such as Buckhead and Midtown.

“The companies participating in Atlanta’s downtown Zero Waste Zone, the first in the Southeast and one of just a handful across the nation, will recover materials that would ordinarily be sent to a landfill and instead put them to good use,” said Stan Meiburg, EPA Region 4 Acting Regional Administrator. “Eliminating waste is important and EPA applauds the Green Foodservice Alliance, the Georgia Restaurant Association and Atlanta Recycles for working with downtown businesses to rethink their foodservice operations with reuse and recycling in mind.

First Hyatt-brand LEED-built hotel opens in Michigan

Plans for the 5-story 113-room hotel started a couple of years ago. Built by Rockford Construction, it's a project with a $15M price tag.

The hotel is aimed at business travelers featuring pre-registration, self-serve automated kiosks for check-in and 24 hour food service. But, it also accommodates families, including those who need a place to stay that is close to Metro Health.

Some of the LEED-related features include: in-room motion sensors to control heat and lighting and the use of green cleaning compounds. According to Morgan Burkett, Vice-President of Oxford Development Co., "We're taking all of our leftover shampoo and soap products and we're recyling them onsite into a slurry that we then convert into basically a laundry detergent. So, all of our pool towels, all of our terry towels, kitchen towels will be washed with products from our guest rooms."

The Hyatt Place isn't the first local hotel built to meet LEED certification. The JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids and City Flats in Holland were also LEED projects. But the Hyatt Place is the world's first Hyatt-brand LEED-built hotel. The business helped to bring 30 new jobs to the area.

"We had 120 highly qualified applications and it took a lot of processing to get to the top 30," said Burkett. "But it is really a credit to this community. The quality and caliber of staff we were able to procure for this hotel is the best that I've ever seen. I've been in the business for 40 years."

For More Information on Green Hotels, Go To Greenlodge.Org

Chicago’s Talbot Hotel Receives Green Power Award

On the heels of it being awarded the Green Seal Certification, the Talbot Hotel has been named a member of the 2008 Green Power Leadership Club by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The 149-room hotel received this EPA award in recognition of its exemplary environmental leadership. The hotel is also being honored for its efforts to operate a 100% carbon neutral property through the purchasing of renewable wind energy credits that offset the hotel’s entire carbon footprint. The hotel not only met the minimum requirements for the EPA’s Green Power Partnership, but reached the 10-fold qualifications of the Green Power Leadership Club.

Talbot Hotel

EPA Green Power Award

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Missouri to offer Green Hotel Certification Program

The Missouri Hotel & Lodging Association (MHLA) and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR)have just initiated a new green certification program as of Jan. 1.

The program will award green certification to hotels and bed and breakfasts that reach a certain level of environmental sustainability. The DNR will use a point system to measure things such as a facility’s efforts to lower water usage or maximize energy efficiency.

Ramona Mormann, executive director of MHLA, said Certified Green participants could earn their points by changing lighting, implementing recycling or green education programs for employees, and even mulching their grounds with eco-friendly material.

There is no cost to participate in the Certified Green program other than the cost for facilities to upgrade to green materials. Promotion of the program will be left to the individual hotels that meet green requirements.

“Going green is so important to our guests and to corporate America,” Mormann said. “Major companies like Johnson & Johnson won’t even consider hotels that aren’t green. We have to go green to keep our guests coming.”

The DNR will provide the official recognition for any hotel that meets its green point requirements, and the MHLA will offer enhanced award packages to its members that pass the Certified Green program. Packages will include distinctive signage and Certified Green branding opportunities.

The Missouri Hotel & Lodging Association is based in Jefferson City and has between 80 and 90 members in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Floyd Gilzow, deputy director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, said the first year would be used to gauge interest and participation in the Certified Green program.“I’d be willing to declare initial victory if 100 hotels joined,” Gilzow said. There are approximately 1,800 places of lodging in Missouri.



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